Irrelevant at any speed

February 27, 2008

Ralph Nader was just 31 years old when he burst into public consciousness by practically inventing a new role: consumer advocate. His 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed," which portrayed the Chevrolet Corvair as a scandalously dangerous vehicle, not only helped push the model off the market but induced the federal government to mandate a variety of safety features in cars, from seat belts to safety glass.

Never mind that the Corvair was eventually exonerated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- Nader's reputation was established. He went on to push consumer-minded initiatives in other industries and founded public-interest groups dedicated to his causes. His energetic efforts attracted scores of young people out to change the world. In the process, he became one of the most notable social activists in American history.

But over time, his influence ebbed. His more pragmatic ideas, such as expanded regulation to promote safety in cars, food, and the workplace, found plenty of support among conventional politicians. His more radical ones, such as forcing companies to pay a "living wage" and withdrawing from the World Trade Organization, have never caught on with the general public.

Nader's endless denunciations of corporations don't get much traction among the American people, many of whom value the jobs, goods and services that such companies provide. So he's grown increasingly irrelevant, seen by many as a humorless scold or a strident dogmatist.

Nader also did himself great damage among many liberals who will never forgive him for running for president in 2000 and -- in their view -- helping elect George W. Bush by taking votes away from Al Gore. So whatever Nader has been saying in recent years, not many people have been listening.

But he found in 2000 that if he can't get public attention any other way, he can get it by running for president. His announcement this week that he'll enter this year's race as a third-party candidate got the spotlight turned his way, at least for the moment.

He says he's doing it because so many of his goals -- from cutting the defense budget to creating a "single-payer" health care system -- are being ignored by the major candidates. But maybe that's because the candidates don't see sufficient public support for them, in which case it's the public that is mostly to blame.

In any case, Nader's previous races for president don't appear to have helped those causes in the least. About all they've done is force people to pay him a bit more attention than usual.